Try and Stop Me
by Sparrow Shadow
Summary: Cornelia and Jess are fighting constantly and it is getting on the rest of the team's nerves. Luba, becomming frustrated, decides to screw with their powers.Must Read Broken Heart and Safe inside Myself
1. Issues

Try and Stop Me

Sparrow Shadow

Full Summery: Drama, Drama, Drama. Jess and Cornelia start fighting after a accident at the pool. Soon after, the earth guardian and the lightning guardian are assigned to sing together in the talent show. The problem is, they can't agree on anything. Jess won't even speak to Cornelia (Of course she doesn't speak to anyone much). Luba decides to force the girls to work together by switching their powers. Now Cornelia is shorting out the lights when she gets mad and Jess keeps getting attacked by vines that she can't control. Both girls need to take a trip into each others mind to find how they control their own powers, and, in the process, discover something about themselves.

Also, I need to explain about Luba. She was never in the TV show, but she was in the books. She lived in Candracar and was the keeper of the Aurameres, the balls of light representing the girl's powers. She was a real bitch who kept trying to interfere with the girl's powers in order to convince the Oracle that the girls were not capable of handling such great power. She almost caused the powers to shatter completely, not to mention the she also caused all the girls to loose their powers except Cornelia, who ended up with all the powers. Needless to say, that caused problems.

I forgot to mention that Jess always wears a black wristband with a teardrop design on her wrist. This becomes important later.

Chapter One: Issues

"Oh come on, Jess," Hey Lin chirped as the lightning guardian pulled her book out of her back pack.

"No thanks, Hay Lin."

"Well why not?"

"Because I don't want to." Irma pouted.

"Why don't you come in and swim with us?"

"No!" Will dove into the pool at the Sheffield Institute Athletic Center, where the girls had chosen to spend the afternoon. Even though fall was quickly approaching, the indoor pool was still opened. Cornelia slid into the water and Jess raised an eyebrow. "I thought you couldn't swim,"

"Will's been teaching me." Jess nodded.

"Why don't you come in with us?" Will pushed.

"I don't want to. I have a book I am trying to finish." The lights suddenly flickered, a sign the Jess was best left alone. It was good advice not to harass her when she was angry. Cornelia didn't care.

"I bet you're scared," she pressed on.

"I am not scared. I just don't want to swim."

"You're such a wimp, Jess," she instigated further, pulling herself out of the pool. Jess stood to face her.

"I am not!" The radio behind them shorted out, as electrical appliances often did around Jess. Cornelia stood in front of her, right in her face.

"Prove it!" she hissed, giving Jess a small push. She screamed and landed in the pool. Will giggled as did the other girls until Will realized that something wasn't right. Jess was kicking and fighting to get to the surface, but not in a way that would get her out of there before she drowned. Suddenly, a thought clicked in the back of Will's mind: What if she couldn't swim?

Will dove underwater and hooked an arm around Jess's waist, pulling her to the surface. Hay Lin and Cornelia pulled her out of the pool and Will came up behind her. "I'm so sorry, Jess. I was just playing." Cornelia said as Will and the others attempted to revive her. Jess opened her eyes, choking and coughing and glaring at Cornelia.

"Hello, I can't swim!" she sputtered as Irma tried to extract some of the water from her lungs, causing her to gag. "Thanks Irma, but I'll just stick to coughing." Cornelia hovered helplessly in the background.

"Why didn't you tell me you couldn't swim?" The blonde asked.

"Because I didn't think you would try to drown me," Jess snapped and the lights flickered again and temporarily went out. Will put a comforting hand on Jess's, cooling the lightning guardian's shocking temper. Cornelia tried to help her up, but Jess didn't want help. She wrung out her curly brown hair and her black t-shirt and wrung her hands down her jeans to press the water out of them. Will led her to the locker room were Jess changed into her gym cloths.

"Are you ok?" she asked as the lightning pulled her wet hair back with a white bandanna. She sat on the bench shivering and Will sat beside her.

"Yeah Will, I'm fine." They lapsed a few minutes in silence.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of people are afraid of water," she said comfortingly. Taranee nodded as she, Irma, Hay lin, and Cornelia came in to check on them.

"I used to be afraid of fire," she said, sitting on the other side of her. Irma and Hay Lin squatted down on either side of her, their hands on her knees and Cornelia sat down beside Taranee.

"I'm sorry Jess," she said softly.

"I know."

"What happened to make you so scared of water anyway?" Jess shrugged.

"To make a long story short, it involved a negligent foster family, a back yard swimming pool, and a broken diving board."

"You fell off?"

"No, Cornelia, I was using the diving board as a boat." Jess's hostility towards Cornelia hadn't ebbed yet. Jess stood suddenly, and bid them all farewell. She trekked out the door and Will followed hesitantly. She caught up with her further down the street.

"Don't you want to stay with the girls?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You really freaked out."

"I am terrified of water," she said softly. "I don't even take baths. I take showers. Quick ones." She sighed as the cold air hit her wet body, the gym shorts making her feel like she might as well be naked.

"We should get you home before you get sick," Will said gently. She knew Jess already had a bad cold. She knew that Jess wouldn't take it easy while she was sick, not with all evil breathing down their guardian necks and midterms causing an even deeper fear. Will hesitated a minute before she broke the silence. "Cornelia was just teasing. She didn't know that you would freak out like that."

"I know, Will. I'm not mad at her. Well, not any more then usual." Will knew that Jess was lying, that girl was really a practiced liar, but she didn't say anything.


	2. The Talent Show SignUp Sheet

Chapter Two: The Talent Show Sign-Up Sheet 

The next morning Jess was early to school. Will found it funny, because ever since she and her mother had adopted Jess from her abusive foster home, Will had been dragging her new sister out of bed every morning. She knew Jess wasn't a morning person, she was more of a night person. She would stay up all night talking to Will, and, often, sneak out to go for a midnight run with her puppy, Sunny.

When Will woke the next morning, she was worried that Jess had been hurt on her midnight run before she found the note, written in Jess's messy handwriting

Dear Will,

I went to school early so don't worry. I'll see you when you get here.

-Jess

So Will didn't worry. She trusted Jess.

As if!

"Jess, what are you doing?" she asked, somewhat accusatory, when she saw her at school.

"Nothing. I just thought that I would…you know…show up early." She shrugged and stared at the floor like she always did when she felt embarrassed.

"Hey Jess," Cornelia said as she rounded the corner. The girls shared a tense glance before both decided to forget the incident at the pool. "Hey Jess, I saw your name on the sign-up sheet for the talent show."

"What are you going to do, show them your guardian powers?" Irma asked as she and Hay Lin rounded the corner.

"No," Jess whispered. She was staring at her feet, her face flushed. "I thought I would…sing."

"Sing?" Will asked. "I've never heard you sing before." She had occasionally entered a room to hear Jess singing to the radio, but she always hushed as soon as she saw her. "Are you any good?"

"I don't know…I guess."

"Well, silly, sing for us." Hay Lin piped up. "Here, pretend I'm the judge." Jess giggled as Hay Lin tried to look stern and judging and that eased her awkwardness. She took a deep breath.

"_I was alone in the dark _

_Never let down my guard _

_Closed the curtain on my heart _

_So the world could not see _

_All the demons in me _

_Told myself I was free _

_Then you showed me how wrong I could be _

_Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble _

_That once was a wall _

_Took years to build around me _

_And you came along _

_And you tore it down _

_Like it was nothing at all _

_Now it's a little scary _

_Learning to fall_." Jess smiled as she finished. Will smiled.

"You've got that talent show in the bag," Hay Lin said, and, remembering her judge act, she added, "I give this young lady an eleven." Jess giggled.

"Thanks Hay Lin."

"Hey wait. You, my friend, are going to have some competition. I signed up to sing as well." Cornelia said. Jess suddenly looked worried and Will decided that this was a good time to boost Jess's constantly dwindling confidence.

"Hey, who cares who wins or looses as long as you have fun?"

"I do!" Cornelia chirped and Will rolled her eyes. "Don't worry Jess, I'll go easy on you," Will could've smacked Cornelia as Jess's cheeks flushed red and she stared at her shoes.

* * *

By the time Will had made Jess go into the theater, Cornelia had already finished her audition. Ten minutes later, Jess's name was called and Will and Cornelia gave her the thumbs-up, Cornelia had decided to be encouraging, as Jess ascended the stage, gripped the microphone, and handed the teacher her CD. She took a deep breath.

_"I was alone in the dark _

_Never let down my guard _

_Closed the curtain on my heart _

_So the world could not see _

_All the demons in me _

_Told myself I was free_,"

Her confidence building, she flashed the audience, a few teachers and students, a flirty smile and began to dance.

"_Then you showed me how wrong I could be _

_Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble _

_That once was a wall _

_Took years to build around me _

_And you came along _

_And you tore it down _

_Like it was nothing at all _

_Now it's a little scary _

_Learning to fall," _

_"When you looked in my eyes _

_Past the fear and false pride _

_You saw goodness inside _

_I can't believe how I feel _

_I believe love is real _

_And I'm ready to heal _

_You show me how right I can be _

_Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble _

_That once was a wall _

_Took years to build around me _

_And you came along _

_And you tore it down _

_Like it was nothing at all _

_Now it's a little scary _

_Learning to fall"_

She flashed Will and Cornelia a soft smile and took another deep breath. The giggled and gave her the thumbs-up.

_"I was holding on, now I'm letting go _

_I was holding on, now I'm letting go _

_I was holding on, now I'm letting go _

_Now I'm standing on a mountain of rubble _

_That once was a wall _

_Took years to build around me _

_And you came along _

_And you tore it down _

_Like it was nothing at all _

_Now it's a little scary _

_Learning to fall"_

The song came to an end and the room applauded, Cornelia and Will among the loudest. Jess sighed with relief as the teachers conferred amongst themselves. "Jessica, dear, can you go sit over by Cornelia? We need to talk to you both." Jess nodded, she was headed that way anyway.

Jess flopped into a chair next to Will as the teacher approached them. "We have a problem here, girls. You both did wonderful, heads and shoulders above the rest of the singers, but we only have room for one singer. I want you girls to do a duet."

"You mean sing together?" Cornelia asked.

"Yes, Miss Hale." He smiled at them. "I'm sure you girls can do it." Jess nodded and Cornelia glared.

"Don't worry girls, you'll be great." Will said softly. Jess smiled shyly.

"That means that you're gonna have to start speaking to me again, Jess. Come on, I didn't mean to nearly drown you." Cornelia said. Jess stood and left the room. Will rolled her eyes.

"I'll go talk to her," she said, following behind her stubborn brown-haired friend.


	3. Luba's Switch

Chapter Three: Luba's Switch

Luba was pissed.

She paced the smooth floor of the Aura hall, growling under her breath. How could those foolish little girls screw up like this. How could Cornelia push Jessica into the pool? How could Jessica not forgive her when she apologized? How could the Oracle not listen to her dire warnings? Those girls were so childish. Couldn't they see that without their friendship, they didn't stand a chance? The war in Meridian was getting more intense, the rebels need the guardians. They needed mature, responsible adults, not foolish girls.

She sighed as she stared into the crystal clear pool that she used to see what was happening on earth. She saw Jessica storm out of the school auditorium, her arms crossed, her body crackling with energy, and her petulant amber eyes flashing with anger. Will rushed after her and Cornelia was close behind. "Come on Jess, I said I was sorry."

"Will you stop following me?"

"Jess wait!" Luba rolled her cat eyes, her tail swishing in agitation (did I mention she was part cat?)

"Foolish girls!" she hissed, and then an idea crossed her mind. She'd teach them. She'd show those silly guardians a thing or two. She rushed over to the Aurameres and conjured her powers.

Oh yes, she'd show them.

* * *

"Jess wait!" Cornelia called as Jess let the door fall against her. "Jess, why are you so mad at me? It was an accident. I didn't know you couldn't swim."

"It's not just that Cornelia," Jess said as she whipped around, her wavy brown hair swaying dangerously and her amber eyes full of fire. "I said I didn't want to swim. Why didn't you just listen to me? I'm terrified of water. I have been ever since I was a child. The last time someone didn't listen to me and pushed me into a pool, I had a panic attack and nearly drowned." Jess stomped her foot on the pavement. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. Just drop it!" She turned sharply and stood stock still. Will looked at Cornelia and realized that she had frozen as well. There was a sudden crack and the girls were lifted off the ground and jerked apart. Will shrieked, unsure of who to run to first. Jess sat up and rubbed her head, staring at Will with a curious gaze. "What the hell happened?"

"I'm not sure." Will said. Cornelia sat up as well and regarded Jess with a mixture of perplexity and anxiety.

"What did you do?"

"What did I do? What did you do?"

"I felt an electrical shock."

"I felt like I was hit in the head with a tree limb." Cornelia crossed her arms.

"Will, did you do something?"

"Hey don't look at me. I didn't do anything." Cornelia turned to Jess again and was about to open her mouth when the streetlamp above them popped. Cornelia shrieked.

"Jess!"

"I didn't do it."

"Things always pop when you're mad."

"I'm not mad, you are." Jess yelped as a tree root coiled it's way out of the soil and wrapped itself around her ankle.

"Oh shit!" Will said. "Cornelia, try to make those rocks move." Cornelia shrugged and stretched out her hand towards the rocks, but to no avail.

"I can't do it."

"Jess, try to fix the light bulb," Will commanded. Jess reached her hands out to the fallen light bulb, but she didn't feel the warm rush of energy like she was used to.

"Ok, I know I can do it." She concentrated her energy and felt a rush of power, but no sparks issued from her fingers. Instead, vines leaped from the earth and coiled themselves around the broken glass. Jess gasped and withdrew her powers. Or Cornelia's. Did I just use Cornelia's powers, she thought with fear.

"Oh shit!' Will said again.

_Yep! Oh shit just about sums it up_.


End file.
